On My Way to the Bath

The way to the bath is a long journey fraught with obstacles that only a young child can imagine. There are cartwheels to perform, a jungle to explore and a world to rule - all while their mother or father waits with the bath bubbles ready.

In this hilarious story, the delaying tactics of one little girl are so imaginative it's a wonder she ever makes it all…
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Overview

The way to the bath is a long journey fraught with obstacles that only a young child can imagine. There are cartwheels to perform, a jungle to explore and a world to rule - all while their mother or father waits with the bath bubbles ready.

In this hilarious story, the delaying tactics of one little girl are so imaginative it's a wonder she ever makes it all the way to the bath!

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Called to the bath repeatedly by her increasingly frustrated mother (“I mean it! Do you hear me???”), Livi summons her free-range imagination and becomes the embodiment of procrastination. She turns into a snake and taunts her baby brother with her flicking tongue; she hatches a global takeover with her “loyal minions,” the guinea pigs; and she brings a crowd to its feet with her expert tuba playing. Paraskevas (Hoppy and Joe) liberally infuses his pages with goofiness (Livi creates a gravity-defying monument to herself out of blocks) and gives his heroine the sturdy physicality and simple yet evocative facial features of a Peanuts character (think Lucy meets Pig-Pen). The precocious, emphatic narration (“I slither off the sofa. I am a snake. I slink, I slide”) and escalating back-and-forth between Livi and her mother will enliven any read-aloud. There are plenty of books on the shelf covering kids’ reluctance to get into the bathtub, but Maizes, making an assured debut, and Paraskevas suggest there’s room for one more. Ages 3–6. Agent: Helen Breitwieser, Cornerstone Literary. (May)

From the Publisher

“Sure to be a crowd-pleaser in story times, classrooms, and laps everywhere.” —School Library Journal, for On My Way to the Bath

“The precocious, emphatic narration and escalating back-and-forth between Livi and her mother will enliven any read-aloud.” —Publishers Weekly, for On My Way to the Bath

“The queen of stalling tactics in On My Way to the Bath returns to delay another daily ritual with imagination and pizzazz. Great for one-on-one or group sharing, this book is a solid purchase.” —School Library Journal, for On My Way to the Bath

Children's Literature - Jayme Derbyshire

A good imagination makes everything more fun. Tedious tasks that are not often enjoyed by children can be vastly improved by a good imagination...even taking a bath. Livi has discovered that getting in the bath can easily be delayed by imagining that she is a snake slithering past her little brother, a cartwheeling professional gymnast, a rock star, or even the leader of the free world. Her reluctance to make her way to the bathtub ends with a sneak attack as a jungle cat on her poor unsuspecting mother. This book is a fun read and is one that parents and children alike can relate to. The dialogue between Livi and her mom is one that would be common in most homes with little kids. There is a humorous air to this short story. The clever ending allows readers to continue to think of the benefits of an excellent imagination long past the conclusion of this tale. The illustrations are engaging and follow the storyline very well. The illustrations of little Livi make her even more likeable than the words alone, if that is even possible.

School Library Journal

PreS-K—As evidenced in this delightful debut from Maizes, the dreaded words "Bath Time!" are often followed by parental rants of: "Now!" "Today!" and "I mean it! Do you hear me?!?!" Of course, Livi hears her mother's call but she chooses to ignore it as she imagines herself as a snake, a tuba player, and a gymnast. Upon hearing the ultimate of ultimatums from her mother ("I'm counting to 10!"), the youngster stalks into the bathroom as a jungle cat, leaping upon her unsuspecting mother, who points to the bubbling tub with a mandated "get in." And as all good children (and parents) know, once Livi gets into the tub-she doesn't want to get out. The story ends with a mischievous child turning into a shark that goes swimming off into the azure blue endpapers after an unsuspecting rubber ducky. Paraskevas's lively illustrations have a perfect hint of whimsy infused into their colorful displays. His artwork is reminiscent of David Shannon's in Too Many Toys! (Scholastic, 2008) as he is able to translate the precociousness of childhood into his digitally created art, capturing Livi's movement as a slithering snake or as a professional gymnast tumbling across the spreads. Mom's voice is captured in floating speech bubbles, adding up to the look of surprise and exasperation on her face when readers finally get to meet her as Livi the jungle cat pounces. This is sure to be a crowd-pleaser in storytimes, classrooms, and laps everywhere.—Lisa Gangemi Kropp, Half Hollow Hills Public Library, Dix Hills, NY

Kirkus Reviews

A young girl reluctant to quit her playing for the "boredom" of the bath imagines all sorts of adventures on her way to the tub. As a snake, Livi slithers off the couch. Passing her blocks, she pictures the statue she will build. She does a cartwheel, suddenly a fantastic gymnast. Her sister's music incites an impromptu show. Livi's guinea pigs remind her that she needs to plan a new caper to take over the world, with their help, of course. And so it continues, all the way to the tub. Meanwhile, speech bubbles on the far–right-hand side of each spread allow readers to track Livi's mother's exasperation as she waits for her tyke to finally arrive. The phrases she uses are sure to be familiar to readers. Paraskevas' brightly colored digital illustrations reveal a plucky girl with lots of personality. Livi may be small, but she knows what she wants, and her determination is to be admired, especially when her real-life skills don't quite measure up to those of the Livi in her imagination. Pair this one with Christine Anderson and Steven Salerno's Bedtime! (2005) to see what happens when another child doesn't stop playing when she is supposed to be getting in the tub. Readers will be thrilled with the ending--Maizes sets the stage for an encore for Livi, who suddenly sees that baths aren't so boring after all: "I am a shark…" (Picture book. 3-6)